A friend (Brian) and I were having a cocktail a few months ago, and he informed me that his ex-wife asked him to pay for half of a $3,000 birthday party for their 6-year-old daughter. This was an outrageous amount to me, so I decided to learn more about the event.   ME: Wow! I […]

During the lunch hour, I decided to grab a ready-made salad from H-E-B, the main supermarket here in San Antonio. While the parking lot was full of cars, I was able to get around the store quickly. I found the prepared chef salad near the Deli section, and soon was making my way to the […]

I attended an online social media class taught by two women (Laura and Danielle). I was impressed with the information shared during the session, and decided to write the following email to the instructors:   Ladies –   I wanted to personally thank you for the excellent social media class. I was impressed with both […]

My flight from Newark to Bombay, India was mostly uneventful. I was fortunate, that United Airlines allows its frequent flyers a perk called “Global Upgrades.” In essence, if we book the ticket in the appropriate class, we can apply the upgrade, which means we can fly in Business Class. This particular flight is 15 hours, […]

Every few months or so, I am reminded of something I observed many years ago while a business colleague and I met for a cocktail after work in Philadelphia. Tony and I decided on a bar near his office to enjoy a good chat. Dancing Begins About 10 p.m. or so, I observed this attractive […]

On a recent trip to Houston, I innocently violated the speed limit by 6 mph. From San Antonio to Houston, we take Interstate 10, and traffic moves at a good clip. The upper limit is 75 mph, and at some point, my foot pressed a bit too hard on the accelerator and, unfortunately, a Texas […]

My flight from NY LaGuardia to Denver was even better after receiving a complimentary upgrade to First Class. The 5:45 p.m. flight was on time, we would receive a hearty dinner, and I was looking forward to ordering a Chardonnay or two on this flight. These are perks of flying in the front cabin.   […]

Having a competitive fire is necessary for those wishing to excel. If we want to climb the corporate ladder, generate more sales, or separate ourselves from the pack, we need to be uncomfortable with our current situation. In other words, we can’t be happy sitting on the sidelines waiting for things to happen in our […]

While attending a church event, I noticed two men carrying a conversation. After a minute or so, I was intrigued with how well the young man (Ryan), roughly 28-years-old, managed the discussion with an elderly man (Don) who appeared to be in his 70’s.   Many of us have heard the important rule that to […]

About a year ago, I was making my way through TSA security at San Antonio International Airport heading to Houston on a 5:30 a.m. flight. Going through security changed significantly after 9/11, and we are now required to remove our laptop from our bag and place it in a separate bin. I made it to […]

 While in the sauna at my fitness club, I overheard a conversation between an older gentleman and his friend. Sam is close to 90-years-old, and he still makes it to the health club just about every day. From what I know, he doesn’t use any of the machines. He likes the steam room, sauna, and […]

After teaching a project management seminar, a student asked if he could speak with me in private. He wanted guidance regarding how he could apply this new knowledge to jumpstart his career. During the multi-day class, he was participative, showing excellent enthusiasm. Here is the conversation: DAN:  Dr. Flores, project management seems to have many applications. […]

While attending a meeting in downtown San Antonio, I had an interesting discussion with a lady in her mid-20s (Christy). I’m unsure why she was assigned as a participant to this meeting because she was too engaged with Facebook on her Dell laptop. Nonetheless, as soon as the break was called, she and I had […]

A few days ago, I made a trip to Piedras Negras, Mexico, which is a border town right across Eagle Pass, Texas. This is a trip that I’ve made many times over the years, and I have noticed that security is getting tighter and tighter.   Today, for example, we are required to show our […]

The fact is that we are not going to work in the same company from start-to-finish. I remember beginning my professional career at Shell Oil Company in 1990, and I thought that I would retire with the oil and gas company. It was a genuine but naïve belief.   In many cases, we find a […]

As a university instructor and corporate trainer, I often ask students to form small teams when working on course projects. For the most part, this is an easy process, especially because students will already know each other. Even when they lack acquaintance, they gravitate to people with similar interests.   Darla Was Left Hanging In […]

I had a terrific discussion with a successful businesswoman a few weeks ago, and I wanted to share it with you. Her name is Beth, and she rose to an executive position at a major corporate training organization. I’ve known Beth for more than a decade, and there is no doubt that she is a […]

Here recently I was visiting Orlando, Florida. I wanted to make one more stop in Ft. Lauderdale before coming home, so I purchased a ticket on a smaller carrier that flies this short route.   Boarding the Flight Upon boarding the airplane, I noticed that the flight attendant (Sandy) was quite friendly.   ME: Good […]